Israel-Hamas ceasefire brings hope, skepticism for locals

News of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday had many local activists expressing hope that it will last, though some were skeptical. Numerous rallies and protests have been held throughout the Valley since the war broke out 15 months ago, including this 25 Mile March in late 2023.

News of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday had many local activists expressing hope that it will last, though some were skeptical. Numerous rallies and protests have been held throughout the Valley since the war broke out 15 months ago, including this 25 Mile March in late 2023. gazette file photo

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

Staff Writer

Published: 01-16-2025 7:45 PM

Modified: 01-17-2025 10:06 AM


The announcement of a proposed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has drawn a wide array of reactions from local organizations, activists and politicians in the Pioneer Valley and the commonwealth, many of whom have been protesting or closely following the events since the war’s beginning in October 2023.

Though both sides have tentatively agreed to an end to the hostilities that have claimed more than 45,000 lives in the Gaza Strip, some activists in the area are still planning a march in Northampton for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, including a reading of King’s speech, “A Time to Break Silence,” that criticized the war in Vietnam.

“It speaks to the state of a country that’s always at war,” said Northampton resident Claudia Lefko, who helped organize the protest. “Hopefully the ceasefire goes into effect, and we won’t forget the Palestinians.”

The three-phase ceasefire deal promises the release of dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and to allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. It would also flood desperately needed humanitarian aid into the territory ravaged by 15 months of war, mediators said.

Though the war began with deadly attacks by Hamas in southern Israel, much of the protests in the Valley have focused on Israel’s resulting conduct in Gaza, during which Israeli Defense Forces have killed tens of thousands of civilians in pursuit of Hamas personnel and conducted drone attacks on aid workers in the territory.

Israel’s harshest critics, including those in the Valley, have levied accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide against Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Rev. Peter Kakos, the retired former pastor of Edwards Church in Northampton, had been one of the many activists to accuse the Israeli government of abetting genocide in Gaza and had co-founded the Leahy Fast for Palestine, named after the federal Leahy Law that prevents the United States from providing military aid to foreign governments that have committed human rights violations.

“We hope that as the ceasefire unfolds, the people of Gaza and West Bank will be able to receive the long withheld necessities of medicine, food, water and shelter,” Kakos said. “May this [ceasefire] be honored; hostages on both sides be safely returned and this first step toward a reconciled peace be achieved. Hundreds of thousands of innocent lives are at stake.”

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Some activists remain skeptical of how well any ceasefire agreement would be honored, noting ongoing violence in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Islamist group Hezbollah in November.

“Israel is continuing to attack in Lebanon after a ceasefire has been announced there,” said Nick Mottern of the group Demilitarize Western Mass, which has held several protests in the Valley, including in front of the Northampton offices of defense contractor L3Harris. “I fear the horrific suffering of the Palestinian people is far from over.”

Jennifer Scarlott, an activist with the Demilitarize Western Mass and the River Valley for Gaza Healthcare groups, also expressed skepticism over Israel honoring the agreement, and said she would continue fighting for Palestinian rights.

“I hope, I deeply hope, that the ceasefire is real, but if so, it will only be a beginning,” Scarlott said. “The global people’s movement to support the freedom and justice struggle of the Palestinian people must continue to grow exponentially. For me personally, I will devote the rest of my life to supporting the movement for justice and freedom for Palestine.”

Other organizations that expressed support for Israel during the war, such as the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, expressed approval of the ceasefire agreement and the return of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas after their initial attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“Every day for over 15 months, our community has held the hostages in our hearts, wept for their plight, prayed for their safe return, and mourned for those who we lost,” the federation said in a statement. “There is much work to be done and significant uncertainty ahead, but we are hopeful that the first phase of this agreement will pave the way for the remaining hostages to be reunited with their family, for hostilities to end, and for an era of security and rebuilding for both Israel and her neighbors.”

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, who represents several communities in the Valley and western Massachusetts, also urged the quick release of the hostages.

“We will not rest until all of the hostages are reunited with their families and this ceasefire is made permanent,” Neal said in a statement. “I hope that this is the first step toward delivering the freedom and security Israelis and Palestinians deserve, putting us on a path toward long-term peace.”

Other members of the commonwealth’s congressional delegation reacted with support for the ceasefire, but also said that a deal should have been arrived at sooner.

“A ceasefire should have happened a long time ago. This deal is essentially the same as the one proposed in May, but we should all welcome this progress,” U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern said in a statement. “The unimaginable death and destruction that has been unleashed on innocent people during this conflict has been heartbreaking, and it needs to stop.”

Such sentiments were echoed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

“This deal took far too long, but we are ready to welcome the hostages home with open arms,” Warren said in a statement. “Even as we welcome this deal, we cannot rest until the ceasefire is permanent, Hamas releases all hostages, and we achieve lasting peace with a two-state solution.”

Some of the biggest protests in the valley against the war took place on the campus of UMass Amherst, including one that prompted the university administration to call in police to break up an encampment in May, which led to more than 130 arrests of students, faculty and local activists. A statement from the UMass Faculty for Justice in Palestine indicated that organizing against Israeli actions and policy in Gaza would continue. 

“It is heartbreaking to watch the Israeli government intensify the genocide in this moment, and instill real fear that Israel will sabotage the deal,” the group said in a statement to the Gazette. “Our work must continue until Palestine is free.”

Jewish Voice for Peace, another organization that has led numerous protests across Hampshire County since the war’s outbreak, noted a delay in the vote for a cease-fire in the Israeli cabinet and called on communities to stay focused on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

“A cease-fire, we know, is empty without the U.S. cutting off its endless flow of weapons to the state of Israel. A cease-fire, we know, is far from the safety and dignity that Palestinians deserve,” the group said in a statement. “If this temporary, fragile cease-fire deal does in fact go into effect on Sunday as planned, remember that this is only the beginning, not the end, in the fight for Palestinian freedom and dignity.” 

Associated Press reporting was used in this report. Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.